A Change of Scenery

Last week, I wrote about falling into a “postpartum” depression after turning in a manuscript to my publisher that took me roughly a year to finish. This week, I’m happy to say that I’m feeling worlds better. I didn’t increase my meds or see my psychiatrist or therapist. Rather, I took a trip with my best friend to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a few hours away from my home in Raleigh. Even though I didn’t go all that far away, our trip constituted a huge change from my day-to-day life. For one, I got to see and hang out with my best friend for the first time in nearly a year. And secondly, we were right by the beach. Raleigh, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is absolutely lovely, but it’s far from a beach paradise. The Outer Banks, however, are. Just the drive out there and the anticipation of seeing my friend and the ocean for the first time in a long time was enough to help draw me out of a deepening hole that had been dragging me down over the past couple weeks.

Surely, a change of scenery isn’t a be-all, end-all cure for depression by any stretch of the imagination, but for me at least, it can really work wonders. Something about a long drive–not to mention a vast ocean and a friendly, familiar face at the end of it–has always brought me joy. I know others with depression and bipolar who feel the same way. I don’t know exactly why or how it works, but I do know that in my case, on occasion, it does.

Does a change of scenery tend to alter and/or improve your mood? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

My best friend Christina (right) and I (left) before a long, leisurely dinner by the ocean at Aqua Restaurant & Spa.

Melody Moezzi is a writer, attorney, speaker, activist, a United Nations Global Expert and award-winning author. Her latest book, Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life, was released in August 2013 by Avery. Her first book, War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims, earned her a Georgia Author of the Year Award. Moezzi writes and speaks on a variety of issues, particularly those relating to Islam, Iran and mental health. She is a blogger for bp Magazine, the Huffington Post and Ms. Magazine, as well as a regular columnist for bp Magazine. Her writing has appeared in many outlets, including The New York Times, theWashington Post, The Guardian, and The Christian Science Monitor. She has also appeared on many radio and television programs, including NPR, CNN and BBC. Moezzi is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Emory University School of Law, as well as the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She lives in Raleigh, NC. For more information and links to more of her work, please visit melodymoezzi.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @MelodyMoezzi